Rainbow
by Sannikex
Summary: Two lonely hearts find comfort. HarryLuna. Second part in my The Weasley Love Stories. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

I'm With You

By

Sannikex

A/N: This is a short fluff piece, the second part in my The Weasley Love Stories. I know Harry isn't a Weasley but almost so he got to be in. This is published because I wanted to show I'm not dead because I won't update for a while. I'll be in Oxford! Gee! Just as Broom(b)ride (Ron/Hermione) this story will contain small vignettes from the leading couple's life. So enjoy!Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Harry Potter universe or Avril Lavigne's lyrics. 

_No footsteps on the ground_

_I'm listening, but there's no sound_

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come take me home?_

_It's a damn cold night_

_Trying to figure out this life_

_Won't you, take me by the hand, take me somewhere new_

_I don't know who you are but I, I'm with you_

_I'm with you_

It was rather cold. But she couldn't leave, not just yet. The sun was setting and a beautiful rainbow stretched over the firmament. The clouds were peach and pink colored with a gold lining.

A week ago now, Harry Potter had defeated Voldemort. He was still unconscious in the infirmary. His two best friends were watching over him, no one else was allowed in. Luna sighed lightly. Now the war was over and all over the world people were celebrating. But not Luna Lovegood. She had no one to celebrate with.

Her long hair that this year had reached her slender hips was blowing gently in the rough breeze and glinted with the last rays of sun. He hadn't expected to find someone here and was about to walk down the stairs again when she turned.

Something in her eyes stopped him. In the blue depths he saw something he could recognize anywhere. Loneliness. It was like looking into a mirror. The same endless emptiness he knew filled his own eyes.

"Harry? What are you doing up?"

Luna had always liked Harry's appearance, she found him nice to look at. She knew from hearing the other girls' in her dormitory talk that he wasn't a very tractable catch. It was common knowledge that The-Boy-Who-Lived got very clumsy and nervous around the opposite sex, he didn't look more than fairly good and there was always hidden panic in his eyes. But Luna thought he was very handsome. His eyes were green as the feathers of a Papegoja, he had a rather long, thin, face. His mouth was always too serious but when he smiled, his real smiles, not the 'I'm fine, don't worry' ones, he handed out to people around him he looked really good. He didn't look like a hero. He looked like a pirate, she had mused once.

"I sneaked out. Hermione and Ron are sleeping and Madame Pomfrey didn't notice."

She nodded and he came up besides her, putting his hands in his pockets. Lord knew, how many times he had wished for someone to just stand beside him when he felt alone. Not asking, 'How are you?' just standing, offering silent comfort.

She watched, a bit surprised that he hadn't left her she dared to look at him as he was silently gazing off in space. Something was gone in his eyes. The hunted look wasn't there, instead a tired look of resignation had replaced it, darkening the colour a few shades. Long, dark lashes were shielding the depths and cast shadows over his cheekbones.

"So why are you up here? Shouldn't you be celebrating his death?"

He turned and met her gaze, green meeting blue, sky meeting grass.

"I had no one I could celebrate with. Besides, Cielarcers likes to fly through the rainbow to collect colours so they can paint their houses. Cielarcers love colours. They're the ones that put the gold at the end of the rainbow. They pay for what they take."

Suddenly he understood why Luna believed in the made-up creatures. They were her. She identified herself with the Snorkacks, weird creatures that no one understood and ridiculed. The Cielarcers had to signify a wish for something beautiful...something that lasted...something about giving and taking.

Was that possible? Was that a way to interpret Luna Lovegood? It was like she spoke another language. He didn't doubt she was more complex than that, odd and different but now somewhat more human, a human who just as himself hungered for warmth. Without realizing it his hand reached out and slowly caressed her long hair.

She was staring into his eyes and wished she had stayed silent. Why did she have to talk about Cielarcers now? He would think of her as weird and leave. But she wanted him to understand. She wanted him to _see_.

Suddenly his hand caressed her hair. Unable to hold herself she stepped closer and sighed as his arms embraced her. Resting her head at his lean shoulder she watched the rainbow. Later she would swear that she had seen tiny, pixy-like faeries dive into the colours, their laughs sounding like bells in her ears.

"You didn't want to kill him..."

He tensed by reflex but found that he could easily tell this girl in his arms his thoughts.

"No. I wanted revenge because of my mum and dad and Sirius and..." He swallowed and her arms circled his waist. "...And the others. But I didn't want to kill him. I was afraid...god...I was afraid it would make me into him. That it would let something inside me loose. I was the only one who knew how big the part of him that was left inside me. At the end I could almost read his thoughts and he mine. And I wanted him gone forever, out of my mind, of my life..."

"That you killed him doesn't make the part of you that is his bigger, Harry. It's the other way around. You showed how much you didn't want to be him by defeating him."

He didn't think so but he said nothing. Some of the pain had lifted from his shoulders. It occurred to him that he was standing, embracing Luna Lovegood and that she had her arms wrapped around his waist and her blonde head leaned on his shoulder. He didn't mind, it felt nice.

"Why are you _really_ up here?"

He already knew but he asked anyway to see if she would answer him truthfully.

"I was feeling so alone. I just walked and ended up here."

She looked up at him almost shyly. And there and then he fell in love with Luna Lovegood. Beneath a rainbow with Cielarcers zooming through it and the sun setting the girl's hair off into a golden curtain.

"I know how it feels," he murmured and from pure instinct he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

Luna didn't think about things that didn't exist. For once her full conscience was fastened in reality, on the sweet lips of a boy that she realized had been in love with for a while. Three minutes to be exact, ever since he saw through her lies and asked her what she was doing all alone up on the roof of the Astronomy Tower.

Hesitantly they separated.

"I feel better now."

"Me too, Luna."

_I'm looking for a place_

_I'm searching for a face_

_Is anybody here I know_

_Cause nothing's going right and_

_Everything's a mess_

_And no one likes to be alone_

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come take me home?_

_It's a damn cold night_

_Trying to figure out this life_

_Won't you, take me by the hand, take me somewhere new_

_I don't know who you are but I, I'm with you_

_I'm with you_

A/N2: How was it? Do tell!


	2. Chapter 2

Rainbow

By

Sannikex

A/N: Well, here's another little fluffy chapter…Just so you know the timeline is that the war lasted 1997 to 1999. At the moment Ron and Hermione are living at the Burrow seeking an apartment and Draco and Ginny has just moved to Malfoy Manor. David is three months old. If you don't understand what I'm talking about go read Broom(b)ride. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I love it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Potterverse. The lyrics belong to LeAnn Rimes.

October 2000

The street was almost deserted as he guided his girlfriend with one hand lightly at the small of her back. They were walking along the high street of the little village Beddgelert in Wales. It was a muggle village and both Luna and he himself were dressed muggle style. The air was crisp in the shining autumn sun and a rough breeze blew, harassing Luna's long hair.

A man so old that Harry expected him to fall dead down any minute came out through a door leading to the grocery store.

"Good morning!" He greeted them cheerily and the couple replied politely. The old man's surprisingly clear eyes squinted at them. "I don't recognize you? Have we met?"

"No, we're here to look at a house." Luna said, smiling, as usual, open and honest towards strangers. And she can afford to be, he reminded himself. The long years of war were over.

"Oh, Gem Cottage, I assume. Hmm, hmm. Very good." He started to chuckle and mumble. "Here in the village it's said that everyone get a happy life from living in Gem Cottage." He cackled happily. "It makes your wishes come true," he nodded as to point out something very important. "But only if the couple that steps over the threshold loves each other deep and true, yes..." The strange piercing eyes looked straight into his own and then wandered to Luna. "I don't think there will be a problem, no, hmm, hmm..." He lifted his hat and left them with a pleasant "Good morning!" walking down the street cackling contently to himself.

"What a charming man," Luna said, staring after the old man.

"Yeah, odd though." She smiled.

"Exactly."

After several minutes of walking along a bumpy path the trees parted and revealed a clearing with old fruit-trees, gray of age and with sturdy branches. Behind the orchard you could glimpse a white house with leaded windows and grass-covered roof.

"Harry, it's wonderful!" He wrapped his arms around her waist leaning his chin at the top of her head.

"I'm glad you like it, I really hoped you would. This house seems happy. Like the Burrow." She sank into his embrace with a content sigh.

"Yes, I see what you mean. I can already see us on that large stone by the lakeshore watching the sunset, our children running around. A swing in one of the apple trees. The smell of apple pie in the autumn, the sound of laughs in the winter, during snowball fights and snowman making. The sight of your children running on the fresh grass in the spring and the touch of sunshine playing on your back as you walk down to the lake in the summer..."

Children...Harry had never gotten that far in his dreaming about a life with Luna. Well, it was too early to think about, they were only twenty, and the war was just over. Or, a tiny voice in his head said, is it that you are afraid, Harry Potter? The war is over and you can love Luna in the open, is the excitement over now? Was it really that you were protecting her when you didn't want anyone to know about your girlfriend or was it that you were too afraid to surrender completely to someone else?

No! I love Luna! I just...children? What do I know of being a father? I've never had one. And with my job? I don't want a child of mine to become an orphan. Never.

"Harry, can we go in?" He woke up from his reverie.

"Sure." Suddenly the forest seemed looming and shadows lurked just out of sight. Unconsciously he gripped his wand, but of course his observant companion noticed.

"What is it?"

"I just got a feeling…" She looked up at him expectantly, Luna never accepted half told stories. "It got so dark. So unwelcoming…" How stupid didn't that sound? He was like a child with nightmares. He shuddered. That was his darkest secret. His nightmares. The dreams that haunted him at his most vulnerable, in his sleep. He couldn't protect himself from the traces the years of war had imprinted on him in more ways than scars on his skin.

But Luna didn't laugh or briskly tell him that the war was over. She just stepped closer, looking into his eyes. She reached up and caressed his cheek, letting a small reassuring smile lift the corners of her mouth.

How could he for one second imagine that he didn't love this woman? He brought her even closer and let his own lips cover the reassuring smile. Shadows and recollections of war disappeared and were replaced by memories of other times he had kissed Luna. The first time in the Astronomy Tower, a sweet one in the rain by the Hogwarts lake after they had gotten themselves soaking wet in a search for 'Muddles', tiny goblins who lived in mud puddles, a long drugging one in each other's embrace in front of a roaring fire in Luna's apartment, the sweaty desperate one after the final battle, both clinging to one another to stay sane after the dark reminiscent of war.

Her intoxicating taste would never stop appealing to him, her scent never cease driving him desperate for her presence, her touch would never be unwelcome. They broke apart to breathe, both panting and smiling.

"I love you, Luna"

"I love you too, Harry" After all the times she'd told him it still made him light-hearted.

"It's ours!" Luna burst out as they sighted the house. "Come on, Harry, hurry up!" He laughed and set off after her as she danced through the orchard. He joined her at the front steps as her flushed face shone.

"Ready?" She asked and fished the key up from her large handbag. He nodded and had to smile at her childish delight. Almost devoutly she turned the key in the lock.

"Hey, wait," he said as he just had gotten an idea. "It's muggle tradition to carry the woman over the threshold to their new home…" A bit embarrassed by the rather stupid whim he ran a hand through his hair.

"How romantic! All right, let's do it and wish for luck!" Easily he lifted her up, she wasn't heavy at all and his work demanded physical strength. With her arms around his neck he kicked the door open and stepped in with his eyes shut. _I wish that this house will make our dreams come true…_

She awoke with a start. A small sound had woken her and she turned towards her boyfriend. He was fast asleep but his face was scrunched up and he was moving restlessly. He was once again haunted by nightmares. He thought she didn't know about his personal hell, he was afraid she would find out how bad it was.

"Oh, Harry…" She reached out and caressed his sweaty forehead. She had known already when they became and item that it wouldn't be easy to live with him. He felt too much, and too deeply. He loved endlessly and put others before himself, he endangered his so easily crushed heart every time.

"Harry, I'm here, it's just a dream," she raised her voice to wake him up.

They were hunting him, faceless shadows is endless darkness. They had caught everyone he knew and loved and he was alone. He couldn't help; all he could do was run. Faster and faster, but they got closer with every painfully hard heartbeat. But someone was speaking to him, a soothing cool hand caressed his face. It was Luna's voice…But it couldn't be, _they_ had her! Then a light broke through the darkness and he saw her, she was dancing, her long hair streaming around her. She was calling for him.

"Wake up, Harry, it's just a dream!"

He awoke suddenly and looked straight into Luna's blue eyes that worriedly looked into his.

"You're possessed by a Mare." He blinked.

"A what?"

"A Mare, Harry. They give you bad dreams." After three years with Luna he knew that she blamed most things at weird creatures. Weather phenomenon, sickness and luck, it was some animal's entire fault.

"And how do you get rid of it?" he asked and she moved a bit so that he was lying with his head on her lap, looking up at her face. A face he knew better than his own.

"You love," she said simply and Harry smiled.

"I already do that," he said drowsily and she watched him go back to sleep, this time peacefully.

Luna didn't fall asleep for a long time. She was just sitting with Harry's head on her lap, playing with his hair. When the first light of dawn seeped through the curtains she curled up close to him.

"Yes, you do, Harry, but you're still afraid of it."

_How do I get through one night without you?_

_If I had to live without you_

_What kind of life would that be_

_I need you in my arms_

_You're my world, my heart, my soul_

_If you ever leave_

_You would take away everything good in my life_

_Tell me now_

_How do I live without you?_

_I want to know_

_How do I breathe without you?_

_If you ever go_

_How do I ever, ever survive?_

_How do I_

_How do I live without you?_

_Without you, there'd be no sun in my sky_

_There would be no love in my life_

_There'd be no world left for me_

_And I, oh Baby, I don't know what I would do_

_I'd be lost if I lost you_

_If you ever leave_

_Baby you would take away everything real in my life_

A/N: So how was chapter two? Better? Worse? Horrid? Good? Tell me!


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